Angga Pratama enjoyed a great Friday at the badminton World Junior Championship in Kedah, Malaysia, qualifying for the semifinals in two events.
Angga and mixed doubles partner Della Destiara Haris, reached the last four after the unseeded duo stunned No. 9 seeds Nipitphon Phuangphuapet and Artima Serithammarak of Thailand 21-17, 21-13 in an economical 24 minutes.
After an hour’s rest, Angga returned to the court with boys doubles partner Yohanes Rendy Sugiarto. This time playing the role of the favorite, the top seeds and Asian Youth Under-19 champions saw off Japan’s Shohei Hoshino and Akira Kobayashi 21-15, 21-14 to reach the semifinals.
Angga and Della face another tough task in the next round as they take on No. 1 seeds Lu Kai and Bao Yixin of China, 21-11, 17-21, 21-8 winners over Malaysia’s Ow Yao Han and Lai Pei Jing. After that, Angga and Rendy will play either third-seeded Chooi Kah Ming and Ow Yao Han of Malaysia or Taiwan’s Chang Kai Liang and Lin Yu Te, who played after press time.
Indonesia’s other boys doubles quarterfinalists, Berry Anggriawan and Muhammad Ulinnuha, were scheduled to face No. 2 seeds Lu and Liu Peixuan. Their match finished after press time.
Unseeded Indonesians Suci Rizki Andini and Tiara Rosalia Nuraidah also reached the semifinals, knocking off girls doubles second seeds Bao Yixin and Luo Yu of China 21-18, 21-19. Suci and Tiara will take on Nguyen Thi Sen and Vu Thi Trang of Vietnam or Hong Kong’s Poon Lok Yan and Tse Ying Suet for a place in the final.
Girls singles was not as good to Indonesia, though. Siti Anida Lestari Qoryatin fell 21-8, 21-11 to top-seeded Chen Xiaojia of China, while Anna Rovita lost to Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon 21-9, 21-11.
Indonesia has not won a world U-19 championship since hosting the inaugural tournament in Jakarta in 1992, when Kristin Junita won the girls singles title and Susanto and Kusno teamed up for the boys doubles crown.
None of its entries made it to the semifinals at the 2008 worlds in Pune, India.
Lius Pongoh, the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) head of athletes’ development, believed the boys and girls doubles would deliver this time.
“We have high hopes that both of the doubles can end our title drought in this championship,” Lius said. “They have the talent to be the country’s next stars.”
